Massachusetts General Hospital | Heart Center

BiographyDr. Baggish received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and then completed internal medicine training and cardiovascular fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His on-going research focuses on heart function and heart disease in athletic indivduals. He is the Associate Director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program, a Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center program that provides clinical care and exercise testing for active individuals. Dr. Baggish serves as the cardiologist for the Boston Marathon.

Publications

View my most recent publications at PubMed

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Baggish AL, et al. Training-Specific Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function: A Prospective and Longitudinal Assessment of Competitive Athletes. J Appl Physiol. 2008

Baggish AL, et al. The Impact of Endurance Exercise Training on Left Ventricular Systolic Mechanics. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2008

Baggish AL, et al. Imapct of family hypertension history on exercise induced cardiac remodeling. Am J Cardiol. 2009

Baggish AL, et al. Differences in Cardiac Parameters Among Elite Rowers and Sub-elite Rowers. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010

Baggish AL, et al. Cardiovascular Screening in College Athletes With and Without Electrocardiograph A Cross-sectional Study. Annals of Internal Med 2010

Baggish AL, et al. Chronic Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Use is Associated With Left Ventricular Dysfunction. Circ. Heart Failure 2010

Heart Abnormalities the Leading Cause of Sudden Deaths in Athletes

Approximately 200-300 adolescents and young adults die every year from partaking in sporting activities in the United States. While heat exposure, dehydration and overexertion are common causes, far and away the most common reason is that the person had some previously undiagnosed heart condition.

CPR training empowers marathoners

Marathon runners, family members and spectators will have the opportunity to attend the first-ever CPR educational sessions on April 14 and 15 as part of the Boston Athletic Association’s (BAA) Health and Fitness Expo and led by Aaron Baggish, MD, associate director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program in the MGH Heart Center and an on-site cardiologist for the marathon.

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiology Grand Rounds take place on Wednesdays from 8:00 am to 9:00 am in the O’Keeffe Auditorium of the Blake Building.

Adding ECG to health exams may prevent sudden cardiac death in young athletes

A new study by researchers at the MGH Heart Center found the addition of electrocardiogram testing to the standard medical history and physical examination for young athletes may better identify key cardiovascular abnormalities responsible for sports-related sudden death.

Long-term anabolic steroid use may weaken heart more than previously thought

Long-term anabolic steroid use may weaken the heart more than previously thought and may increase the risk of heart failure, according to a study led by MGH investigator Aaron Baggish, MD.

Participating in marathons, half-marathons not found to increase risk of cardiac arrest

A new study finds that participating in these races actually is associated with a relatively low risk of cardiac arrest, compared to other forms of athletics. The study also identifies bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a key factor in patient survival.